Level 3 driving assistance is defined by the SAE as a conditional hands-free automated driving system, meaning that the person behind the wheel is not actually driving while the system is engaged. However, the vehicle may request that the driver take over if certain driving conditions aren’t met, unlike Level 4 and 5 which will not prompt the driver to take over once the system is engaged in its operational design domain.
Mercedes’ selling point for Drive Pilot is to enable its customers to reclaim their time while in the vehicle. Specifically, the automaker says it will allow drivers to “focus on certain secondary activities such as communicating with colleagues via In-Car Office, browsing the web or relaxing while watching a movie.” It’s unclear just how much time drivers will get back, or where the system will be used, as Drive Pilot is currently limited to just 37 miles per hour elsewhere in the world.
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